"Samurai Mike" Rampage

Singletary apparently dropped his drawers during a halftime rampage ~ this is the post-game aftermath. As he showed his backside to the players, Samurai Mike described "It's just sharing my heart with them." Holy Crow! In that case, please don't share anymore anything.



For the record, "a 49ers spokesman clarified how far Singletary actually went with the halftime show, confirming the coach kept his boxers on during the demonstration." Phew, I sure feel better knowing that ~ thank you Chronicle for solid media coverage.

'Zo says: "BTW I'm Voting For McCain / Palin"

"When does the line between gospel proclamation and a social gospel get blurred?"

Thanks to D.A. Carson's interview with Peter Cha . . . good clarification for us Asian-American reactive types ("what middle? we don't need no freaking middle!").



I think many Asian-American Christian leaders unknowingly/knowingly are being drawn towards either the "emergent/increasingly historical liberal" flavour, the "corporate/attractional" flavour, or the "doctrinal/usually reformed" flavour. Are there safetys or mentors in place to better guide and prophetically navigate the Asian-American Christian landscape? Or do we continue to just drift further into our theological marinades?

Jim Wallis' "Abortion Reduction" Plank

Is a "plank" the same as a "platform"? Or is it a less sturdy version of the latter? Whatever it may be, left-winger Jim Wallis is suggesting that this ought to be apart of Obama's plank to the Democratic platform. Alright, Tony Campolo, Sojourning Wallis, B-Mac (from "A New Kind of Tension" fame) . . . you boys bet the farm on protecting Darfur - which has been witness to genocide and atrocities. Okay, I'm trekking with you this far. But when it comes to abortions . . . "reduction"? Two words - "what the?" According to the CDC, there are an average of 850,000 "legal abortions" carried out each year. To be consistent and beyond reproach would we then suggest a UN "genocide reduction"? What the freak? At one point in time, it seemed quite nice that Brian Mclaren was suggesting a "middle ground" between the liberal fundamentalists and the conservative fundamentalists (yes, I believe they are both "fundies"). But come on B-Mac, you just sold out Costco size to the "leftys" - where's the middle in that? It is equally ridiculous to suggest a "genocide reduction" as it would be to suggest a "abortion reduction" ~ if you are still wondering, I do not believe the "rape victim's" baby is required to pay the penalty of death for the rapist's sins. I firmly believe that Jesus died on the cross for that. Yes we all have a choice . . . "to follow me, pick up the cross and deny yourself" . . . Jesus chose to die for us.

ICBC to "Gift" Immobilizers to F Series Truck Owners

Now if you own a Ford F-Series truck . . . and you live in the Greater Vancouver Area. You should be receiving a notice in the mail very soon encouraging you to use your $160 ICBC sponsored credit towards the purchase of a electronic auto immobilizer. For those of you unsure of this extraordinary turn of events, refer to the video posted above. According to our evening news broadcaster from Global TV ". . . auto thieves high on crystal meth . . . driving Ford F series vans . . . feel powerful while driving . . ." Note the repititious use of the word "oncoming!" by the crystal meth, Ford lovin', auto thief in the video courtesy of baitcar.com. Click here for the news update.

The Jedi Master "Tim Keller: Divine Impluses"

Lower Mainland Real Estate Tipping?

Is this the beginning of what "they" (i.e. bankers, mortgage lenders, real estate foolios, developers, etc.) call the "soft landing"? After more than a decade's worth of time spent in this most recent cycle, we are officially preparing to bottom out ~ no thanks to my homies south of the border (props and shout outs to the SEC). According to the official numbers that came out, the Vancouver Real Estate Board has announced that sales have dropped 42% since last year. However, the number of listings have increased since a year ago . . . by 28.8%. Can you say "buyer's market"? Can we say "real estate bubble"? Can we say "about to burst" like a bad appendix?

Must flag David Watt's (President of the above mentioned "Board") comments:

"Although the economic situation in the United States has affected consumer confidence globally, the consensus view remains that our local housing market is underpinned by solid economic fundamentals . . . After five years of unprecedented increases, housing prices are beginning to realign."

Yes Watts, we've all heard the same blah, blah, blah the past few days. "Canuckians, don't be scared, we have a different regulatory structure in place than the US" (in regards to sub-prime mortgages and the like)! Yeah right, since the entire freakin' US economy is "putz" or headed towards "putz" - right Watts, "underpinned by solid economic fundamentals." What? The same fundamentals that are about to knock you upside the head! Yes, I'll have no local confidence when the global fundamentals are gone. Please let's not invade Iran just to boost consumer spending . . . no more, please?

"Jesus is My Friend" by Sonseed

Props to "MP" for the ska'lin, ska'listic, ska'frolicious, sounds of the "Sonseed".

Tainted White Rabbit Candy

This is the decade of the "Chinese Food Recall" . . . uh make that, the "Chinese Recall" . . . the collapse of the Chinese Economy. Everything is tainted, the Olympic Opening Ceremony, Thomas the Tank Engine, anything "made in China", and now the "White Rabbit Candy." Question: Why is Western media so surprised by all this breach of ethics from the manufacturing industry of the PRC/Chinese government? Answer: None of the western media giants had parents who remember running from the Communist ["Gung-chaan-dong"] . . . then the Japanese ["yup-boon-jai"] . . . then the Communist ["die-look"]. . . then what? If you're Cantonese you'll understand the phonetics and probably the politcs.

May We Never Forget

A Response to the Materialism Rant

I found a great article that thoughtfully articulates my anger and frustration towards many Asian-American ministries that I come across . . . including my own temptation to "sell out" to the consumers.

Skye Jethani over at Christianity Today posted a insightful article entitled: "How consumerism undermines our faith and community." This is by far one of the most succint and simple-to-read articles that I have come across to address theologically and critique consumerism within the church thoughtfully.

Click here for the down low.

RIP Kenny

Rest in peace Kenny ~ may the Lord have mercy on your soul. You always a good boy to me.

RANT: The Infatuation with Material & Technique

As an Asian-American/Canadian ~ yes a "dualie" (not the truck kind) ~ I've observed the subtle and obvious changes that have occurred within the North American Asian church over the past decade or so. I can't help but see the connection between our local-born addiction to technology and the lateral movement of it (in a Costco wholesale kind of way) into our spirituality. Is it just me or do local-born Chinese (in particular) still carry issues of identity into the 21st century? For instance, why are we so suspicious of the intentions of others? Why are we either too serious or too slack? Why are we either socially integrated or socially segregated? Why aren't there any "in between" to this madness? (i.e. local-borns either running in boatloads to the right or the left; Wallis liberalism vs. MacArthur fundamentalism). Perhaps, we ~ the benefactors of great wealth passed down to us from our hard working immigrant parents ~ are compensating by repeating the cycle taught to us from previous generations. Love = money, Security = material wealth? I don't know. The reason why I would point out the spirituality thing is that our theology - in particular because we are so affluent - is so similar to the same type of Southern Baptist WASP-ish tendencies that many of us grew up coping with (Chinese call you "gwai", White folk call you "those people"). As Ed Stetzer might ask, "how would we maintain biblical fidelity and faithfulness to the mission of God?" As a North American sub-culture, we are just so market-driven and crazy ~ we've sold out to middle-classism and the Southern Californian lifestyle. I feel like throwing up right about now.

What is required in a presidential candidate?

"We can change, yes, we can change" ~ crazy words of inspiration. But, is the character of a candidate revealed in their policy-making? Or lack thereof? Are we so commercialized as to believe that candidates have no "personal voice" of their own? Are they so "spun" that they are just the byproduct of the US Democratic Market-criven political machine? Today, we've got two candidates who are either consistently liberal OR consistently "inconsistent". One candidate is awe-inspiring, youthful and hopeful - but underneath, questionable values when looking at their political record. The other candidate is experienced, has tenure & the temper to go with it, but not someone I would trust to teach Sunday school to my kids (and in all fairness, the younger guy with his idealistic views probably wouldn't qualify as a teacher either). What is required nowadays in a presidential candidate? Does it matter whether or not a guy can hold done a marriage and really prove his toughness (which apparently can break even the hardness former Vietnam POW; the former POW returned to a loving wife who survived a life-threatening car wreck that left her "less than" perfect)? What about adulterous tendencies? Do we care about things like that? Do we sell out and choose the lesser of two evils? Does it really matter that a potential leader of a global superpower care about the right of a woman to abort a child growing within her womb? Or for that matter, care about the rights of unborn children?

I'm sorry Obama, "we can change, yes we can change" (McCain, you too) - the only changing that we must experience is sanctification.

What is Multi-Level Marketing?

Otherwise known as "MLM" or "Network Marketing", what is "Multi-level Marketing" anyways? I have heard it described as "the business concept: burn friends for business partners." Recently I found a insightful article revealing the "gospel-like" qualities of MLM and it's practitioners.

Four issues (called "problems") are dealt with:

- Market Saturation
- Pyramid Structure
- Morality and Ethics
- Relationship Issues

Click here for the "deal on the schpeal."


Why am I giving airtime to MLM? Simply because there is an increasing number of those from within my social network who are now double dipping their wage earning potential by hobby horsing on the side as MLM disciples. This grieves me deeply . . . 12 Gauge deep, not the Cheney bird shot type . . . I'm dreaming "slugs".

Obama ~ Jackson

I am so frustrated with this whack, try-hard, political b@$#&%$t! Okay, as an Asian Christian man trying to understand what the Rev. Jesse Jackson is trying to pull . . . now first of all, if he belonged to any Christian denomination of repute, he would have already lost his title "Rev." He also recieved his M.Div back in 2000 after years of putting it off - I wonder, what the hell did he learn in seminary? Come on already, has everyone already forgotten Karin Stanford, the former Rainbow/PUSH Coalition staffer who had an affair with the Rev. Jackson - the result of which was a daughter?

Let me get this straight Rev. - do you really think that Obama is speaking down to black people? Or do you think that he's speaking down to you? Or are you just so overwhelmed with guilt and depravity that you cannot even own up and "man up" to you own vices? Is this transference of denial in the form of anger projected upon another man? Perhaps, a good man (Obama) who actually cares about making good solid moral decisions and choices as a black man. Perhaps, because Obama experienced life without a Daddy - a young black man who grew up fatherless, raised by his white grandmother, only to end up as a strong black man deeply rooted in his faith (a black liberation theology kind - unfortunately, not the biblical Jesus kind).

I appreciate how the NY Times quoted the Rev. "In a statement, Mr. Jackson said, 'My appeal was for the moral content of his message to not only deal with the personal and moral responsibility of black males, but to deal with the collective moral responsibility of government and the public policy which would be a corrective action for the lack of good choices that often led to their irresponsibility.'" Click here for the NY Times post. Yes, it's "Mister" rather than "Rev" - thank you NY Times. Also, note how Mr. Jackson would like to further perpetuate the racist power structure by giving the responsibility back over to government and public policy VERSUS "young black males just need to 'man up'!" (paraphrase from Obama speech).

Why is it, that when a good black man, who (so far, up to this point . . . we'll see) makes good choices, makes a successful run at a race that no other black man has ever succeeded at, gets this close . . . brother just don't got no support from the higher ups. Is this what "black-on-black crime" looks like in the upper echelon? I am so sick of this, it's like a throwback to the East versus West Coast crap back in the day (ala. Biggie Smalls & Tupac). Can't we all just get along?

Jesse, please retire, go home, find another job in another line of work, you embarrassing your peoples. Find another job and support that extra-marital affair daughter of yours . . . get yours and get some child support sent to Cali. Quit hating and perpetuating fatherlessness. Please, just be a good black man (whatever that may mean nowadays).

Fortunately, the son is wiser than the father.

The Emergent Rock of Orthodoxy

"assurgent, convergent, divergent, emergent, resurgent . . . detergent, insurgent, preemergent" . . . current and future names of cool "pomo" or "po-pomo" or "po-po-pomo" movements. "Yee-ahh boyeee" (ala Flava Flav). Epic, just remember I thought of it . . . second.

Currently Playing on the Sansa E260

Each day I drive an average of 70 km (43.5 miles) round trip to church. Because of the side streets and location of our home to the highway, the average one way drive lasts 45 minutes. As a result, I have taken the opportunity to pack my MP3 player with tons of material for the drive (gargabe in, garbage out). I've spent an average of 36 hrs./month on the road or sitting in traffic ~ as a result, my richest learning so far in life has occurred.

Here's a shortlist of what's gone down so far:

- "The History of Christianity I" taught by Dr. Frank James III of Reformed Theological Seminary (33 classes)
- "Humanity, Christ, and Redemption" taught by Dr. Robert Peterson of Covenant Theological Seminary (38 classes)
- Various talks gathered from Together for the Gospel, Acts 29 Church Planting Network, Desiring God Conferences, etc.

Most recently and currently playing on the Sansa E260:

- "Old Testament History" taught by Dr. V. Philips Long (36 classes), formerly of Covenant Theological Seminary and currently at Regent College in Vancouver, BC
- One of the most incredible sermons on "the Holiness of God" that I have heard yet, preached by C.J. Mahaney ~ kudos to Adrian Warnock for reposting "old sermons" (though I sure don't think it's that old)
- Maria Kliegel playing J.S. Bach's Cello Suite No.1 in G Major (BWV 1007)

My Sansa's my new best friend . . . until my FM transmitter begins to act up.

NT Wright on the Colbert Report

Bishop Wright of Durham was talking new heaven and new earth with Stephen Colbert (6/18/08), click here.

"I'll see you in the afterlife and we'll settle it there . . ." (Colbert on Wright).

Signs & Wonders: John Piper Style

Back in the 80s, during my high school days, my sister - who was at Biola University at the time - had to attend worship services of differing styles for a class she was enrolled in. So we decided to go down to Anaheim Vineyard for an evening service one Sunday. All I remember was the Kansas City prophet Paul Cain - strange & weird (apparently, Cain has since been booted by Mike Bickle and Jack Deere). Don't know which was weirder, the testimonies themselves or the fact that 2,000 or so people sat through it with me. He shared about how Jesus showed up in his bedroom of his second story home - which was surrounded by a chain linked fence that was high enough to prevent climbing. Jesus showed up and sat down by his bed and the weight of the second person of the Trinity caused Cain to turn over in bed. Yep, we sang a few of the Vineyard classics that night too . . . feeling weird just thinking about it (80s Praise & Worship Charismatic EMO?).


There were the Kansas City Prophets, the Toronto Blessing, the Brownsville Revival, and now the Lakeland Revival (the last two being from Florida). I admit I had that one weird experience that I just can't shake . . . especially when I hear people sing "I Believe in Jesus" or "Refiner's Fire". But for real, how on earth am I to celebrate with the entire body of Christ?

I'm glad you are with me this far, 'cuz I gots to give props to Pastor John Piper for his opening prayer back in February of 1990 (not too long after my Vineyard experience).

"Oh, Lord, if there is a wind of true, biblical, spiritual power blowing in our day with signs and wonders and healing and prophecy, forbid that I should stand in the way! Don't pass Bethlehem by. Make me the leader you want me to be for the greatest blessing of this church, and the greatest missionary effectiveness. But then, on the other hand I pray, Oh, Lord, forbid that we should lose our biblical bearings; forbid that we become trendy or faddish and begin to substitute the sand of experience for the rock of revealed truth. Show us the fullness of the power of the gospel, Lord, and keep us from preoccupation with secondary things, no matter how spectacular."

For the entire sermon, click here.

Apparently, this guy was in Anaheim that night too. Gheesh, go figure?